Often, apartment dwellers cannot afford a traditional dishwasher or simply cannot install one due to limited space. The traditional dishwasher is large, expensive, and unsuitable for scouring purposes. Considering the fact that there is no other household chore performed more frequently than washing dishes, the dishwashing market clearly has room for more variety. The present invention relates to a dish scrubbing machine and more specifically an ultrastreamlined, targetable-action adaptable pot-scrubbing appliance.
There have been a number of dish scrubbing machines developed. These fall into two categories: hand-held dish scrubbing machines and stationary dish scrubbing machines. Hand-held machines rely on the movement of the scrubbing member to isolate particular food deposits. The advantage of hand-held variations is versatility, where specific food deposits can be isolated and scrubbed. The main disadvantage of hand-held variations is that they require a single-handed hold on the dish or pan being scrubbed. This one-handed hold can be a struggle on a slippery sink with no good place to brace the pan.
Stationary dish scrubbing machines rely on the movement of the dish itself to operate, requiring the dish to be maneuvered against a stationary scrubbing member to remove particular food deposits. The advantage of this that a utensil can be held with both hands during scrubbing. The disadvantage is lack of what might be called "targetability," where particular food deposits cannot be "targeted" during scrubbing because either 1) the utensil simply cannot be freely maneuvered against the scrubbing member due to obstructions, and/or; 2) the surface of the utensil is not even visible during scrubbing. Both of these factors are needed for targetability.
Examples of stationary dish scrubbing machines are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,315,729, 4,228,559, 3,121,897, 3,011,192. Some of these devices are located at the bottom of the sink basin, on the faucet, or just next to the sink extending horizontally over the sink among other places. These positions require the user to turn the dish down or away from him or herself resulting in "blind" washing. Some positions allow the sink structure to interfere with the size and shape of utensils that can be washed. For example, if the scrubber is located on the faucet, the angle of most faucet necks would hit the side of a large pan or plate, preventing it from being washed properly. If the scrubber is located near the sink basin walls, this would likewise prevent a large pan from being maneuvered freely against the scrubber.
Another problem with stationary dish scrubbing machines is that they are bulky, and awkward to mount on a common kitchen sink in a strong but aesthetic manner. The surface structures of the machine should be streamlined, using measures such as eliminating unnecessary structural features, and remotely powering the scrubbing member from a motor below the sink. However, there are many obstacles below a sink, and above the sink the scrubbing axis requires realigning. Therefore, a stationary dish scrubbing machine should also be adaptable to different configurations. All these considerations must be met without losing the strength to scour pots and pans because this is the niche that the traditional automatic dishwasher does not fill.